Screaming 'too that I can't ignore

[requiemeden]

Hi again all! I've had my Romeo (elenora cockatoo) for 10 years.

This past October I moved in with my husband. There was working getting done to the last house and I was sleeping at both homes which was very stressful to him along with moving to a new location.

I work 6 days a week teaching over 65 private piano lessons in my house. Romeo has always been a quiet bird and enjoys being by himself. He would be fine in his room for 6 hours or more talking to himself or playing with his toys. Maybe once a month he would scream during a lesson.

Fast forward to now... he is screaming a lot while I'm teaching. I cannot ignore it. The house is smaller so its louder and its disrupting my students. My students and their families have been understanding... but it is getting stressful for me to run a professional business with Romeo screaming all day.

I've bought him all new toys, he doesn't like any toys I buy him. I have him by a window with the blinds up so he can see outside. I bought a radio for him to listen to while I work.

I've tried telling him "piano time" right before I teach and giving him a treat.

My husband cannot spend time with him while I'm working. He works 10-15 hours a day and comes home while I'm 1/2 done with my work day and has to go to bed (graveyard shift).

His cage wont fit into the master bedroom and its a distraction/liability to put him in my teaching area.

I've done some reading about reinforcing when he is quiet. Problem is while I'm working I can't run off to go praise him.

I've had my students when going to the bathroom (next to Romeos room) say out loud to him "good boy" if he was quiet the whole lesson.

I don't know what to do!

PS: on my last post - we're having no aggressions issues

 

[MikeyTN]

It sounds like he's a bit stressed out at the new location. Have you gotten some foraging toys for him to play with while your doing your lessons??? They would spend tons of time working on getting the nuts or treats out of the foraging toy and that usually keep them occupied for awhile. They need to be simulated to keep them quiet and calm. That means a lot of exercise and such.

 

[requiemeden]

It sounds like he's a bit stressed out at the new location. Have you gotten some foraging toys for him to play with while your doing your lessons??? They would spend tons of time working on getting the nuts or treats out of the foraging toy and that usually keep them occupied for awhile. They need to be simulated to keep them quiet and calm. That means a lot of exercise and such.

What if I just put his normal food in the toy? Would that be ok? He doesn't seem to enjoy this type of toy plus motivating him with treats is hard. The only thing he goes crazy for is people cake and he shouldn't be eating that lol.

He loves destroying toys with bells but he can do that in a matter of minutes D:

 

[MikeyTN]

Does he not like almonds??? Java the U2 LOVED Almonds but it didn't take him long to figure the foraging toy out....He have all the Almonds removed and ate not very long after I put them in....lol.....

 

[requiemeden]

Does he not like almonds??? Java the U2 LOVED Almonds but it didn't take him long to figure the foraging toy out....He have all the Almonds removed and ate not very long after I put them in....lol.....

Nope, he doesn't lol. He doesn't like any nuts, fresh fruit/dried fruit, veggies, or bird treats. He on occasion will go crazy for scrambled eggs. He in general only likes pasta, cookies, cake, all things he shouldn't be eating. He hates cold or wet things lmao. He is such a picky eater

He is really into my husband so maybe he can teach Romeo to like other foods because my family and I have tried everything under the sun.

 

[MikeyTN]

Ok, I think your letting your parrot own you instead....

Java the U2's previous momma said the same exact thing! Oh he won't eat pellets, he doesn't like this doesn't like that. And she had him for nearly 10 years as well. Birds will have you figure out and have you think that's what they will only eat. So when I took over Java, I let him have his way the first month as we fed him his seed diet. But I won't give him scrambled eggs, coffee, etc that he was getting in his previous home. Instead I give him fresh fruits and veggies in the morning and a bowl of pellets available to him 24/7. I give him a table spoon of seeds during evening time. Then we start all over again the next day. I also don't give him any nuts, treats, etc during this period. I had him switched over in 1 week, what the previous owner couldn't accomplish in 10 years. She said he would only eat green grapes but my other birds prefer the other and that's what we always get as we don't really get green grapes. Java started eating it just fine. No scrambled eggs but hard boiled eggs is what he eats. Plus many other things we cook for him.

With birds that don't really know nuts, you crack it to the point part of it is open to expose the nut within. Then give it to them, they will have it figured out soon enough. I teach the big birds the same thing. Lola came to me only getting Almonds cause she doesn't know how to eat the other nuts, now she does.

 

[requiemeden]

Ok, I think your letting your parrot own you instead....

Java the U2's previous momma said the same exact thing! Oh he won't eat pellets, he doesn't like this doesn't like that. And she had him for nearly 10 years as well. Birds will have you figure out and have you think that's what they will only eat. So when I took over Java, I let him have his way the first month as we fed him his seed diet. But I won't give him scrambled eggs, coffee, etc that he was getting in his previous home. Instead I give him fresh fruits and veggies in the morning and a bowl of pellets available to him 24/7. I give him a table spoon of seeds during evening time. Then we start all over again the next day. I also don't give him any nuts, treats, etc during this period. I had him switched over in 1 week, what the previous owner couldn't accomplish in 10 years. She said he would only eat green grapes but my other birds prefer the other and that's what we always get as we don't really get green grapes. Java started eating it just fine. No scrambled eggs but hard boiled eggs is what he eats. Plus many other things we cook for him.

With birds that don't really know nuts, you crack it to the point part of it is open to expose the nut within. Then give it to them, they will have it figured out soon enough. I teach the big birds the same thing. Lola came to me only getting Almonds cause she doesn't know how to eat the other nuts, now she does.

Probably.

When I bought Romeo from the breeder (he was almost 4) they showed me the pellets he likes plus I knew the bird needed fresh food. I tried what you did with the fresh food offered along with the pellets. He just throws the fresh food on the floor. Maybe it wasn't a good idea but I've tried only leaving fresh food for him and no pellets but he refused to eat.

On a lucky day he might eat a "bite" of something good for him, ugh.

My husband and I have cracked nuts open for him and he's learned how to do that except he cracks them open to feed us he wont eat them lol.

I'll try switching up the food this week. Hopefully it works this time.

 

[MikeyTN]

At least he's eating his pellets....you have a rotten bird!!!! LoL.... hey, you don't need a nut cracker during holiday season.

 

[requiemeden]

Haha! After work today I'm going to go out and buy him some new foraging toys and find something he "likes" enough to hopefully try them.

He has completely exhausted me today. I started teaching at 9 am and he has been screaming for the past 3 hours. The last 10 mins were the piercing screams that I could not longer try to ignore.

I'm at my wits end. I've created some kinda of monster here. I want me sweet very quiet and independent boy back. What else can I do besides the foraging toys for him?

EDIT:

forgot to add. A new issues since moving. If we leave the room he is in (he is on his dedicated perch/stand - and he has one for everyroom) he will scream if we leave the room after about 30 seconds. So when I walk out of the room to get something I'll talk to him (I think he's afraid?) but he'll still scream and sometimes he'll fly down and try to find us. This was never an issue a before he would just wait patiently.


I want to be a good owner and nip these issues in the bud but I am near tears and or angry daily and it just got worse these week and I'm trying to figure out what I did to encourage the bad behavior. I don't want to have to give up my baby after 10 years but its becoming a serious issue for my work. I know its my fault and I want to make it better ASAP!

 

[MikeyTN]

He's becoming a velcro bird so that's where you have the problem. It's hard to unstick velcro bird....the only way to do it is you have to teach hin to learn to self entertain. I don't think he wants to be left in the room by himself anymore. Is he not able to see you during teaching time? Have you tried leaving the door open so he can see you or at least have him out in the main area and not let the kids touch the cage period? Or is he free out of the cage even while your teaching?

 

[requiemeden]

I spend time with Romeo on my breaks. On a 6-10 hour day I have one 30 or 45min dinner break or 2 smaller breaks. He is out of the cage with me in the kitchen or the office at that time.

While I'm working he is in his room with the cage closed. I have no where in the house he can roam freely.

All of our bedrooms are down a hallway and you cannot see the teaching area from them.

I have no room for Romeos cage. The only spot is next to one of my pianos - a grand and its going to be way too loud for him, plus the vibrations of it.

My living/family room is my teaching area. Even if I put an acrylic screen around the cage so no fingers got in and out he would be too distracting. He will talk and try and sing along, blow kisses or just laugh the whole time lol.

I hear him spend a lot of time talking to himself when he is alone.

In my last house he was in my bedroom which was on the 2nd floor. He spent the same amount of time on a work day with me with no problems.

If I use the bathroom during a lesson I will sometimes go in Romeos room and give him a few scratches and a kiss if he hasn't been screaming.

Hopefully the toys will work. I'm going to try making somethings he can enjoy destroying all day long.